Graphic designer. Warehouse worker. Dental assistant. Social worker. Brand ambassador.
Do you know what each of these people has in common? Communication skills are listed as a top qualification on ZipRecruiter job postings for all of these job titles.
Effective communication is essential to nearly every industry. After all, communication is universal. Everyone has to communicate, and people who communicate well are more likely to perform well in professional arenas. In fact, a proven ability to communicate clearly is more important to 91 percent of employers than a job candidate’s undergraduate major.
Whether you are looking to land your dream job or score that big promotion in your current career, practicing these key workplace communication skills could help you achieve your goal.
Get Comfortable CommunicatingMastering these vital workplace communication skills will serve you well in your career—regardless of your line of work. And these skills are not limited to the workplace. Being a confident communicator can be beneficial for your personal life, too. Practice your new speaking, writing, listening, and body language skills everywhere you go and see first-hand the difference that strong communication skills can make.
Take back your weekend with these five strategies.
Vicki Salemi, Monster Career ExpertEveryone in the workforce looks forward to the end of the workweek: When 5 o’clock rolls around on Friday, liberation commences!
Well, until Sunday morning, that is.
In theory the whole weekend should be your time, but most Americans spend their final 24 hours fretting about their jobs. According to a recent poll by Monster, 76% of Americans report having “really bad” Sunday night blues—generally defined as depression over the fact that one night’s sleep stands between you and a new workweek.
Maybe that’s because here in the United States our identities are intrinsically wrapped around our occupations. We have become what we do for a living, and we live to work instead of work to live. We could be leisurely enjoying a three-hour Sunday night dinner with family or friends, but instead we’re quickly devouring dinner, logging in and immersing ourselves in work mode to get ahead before Monday morning hits.
Want to avoid the dread? Take hints from the other 24% of Americans who are enjoying their weekends to the fullest :
Your caffeine-and-sugar fix isn’t cutting it? Nosh your way to a productive workday with these healthy snacks and foods.
Moira Lawler, Monster contributor
For busy working people such as yourself, it’s easy to think of food in terms of what it helps your body stop doing: It quells stomach growls during meetings and suppresses the hangry feelings that put you this close to blasting off a snarky email to co-workers.
Scratch that approach and start thinking about what your workday lunch (and every other meal, too) can do for you and your brainpower.
If you eat smarter, the healthy food you put into your body can actually act as a brain booster and might just improve your workplace performance. Need lunch ideas for work, or some healthy snacks to stock up on? These foods can help keep your brain at its prime.
Feeling underappreciated is never fun. If you’re constantly staying late or juggling too many responsibilities, find out how to take action.
Nothing makes a job miserable faster than a bad boss—particularly the kind who has no qualms taking advantage of someone. Sure, sometimes you’re going to be asked to go above and beyond your duties, and you’ll have to comply because that’s just part of being a team player.
But feeling unappreciated or like you’re constantly being taken advantage of is absolutely not in anyone’s job description. Cue the stress headaches.
She didn’t get the job—yet—but we outlined a few key takeaways for writing a cover letter and even applying to Google.
When you were seven years old, what did you want to be when you grew up? An astronaut? Perhaps a rock star? Maybe a professional athlete? Or did you want to be just like dad and follow in your parent’s heroic footsteps doing whatever it is he does?
Well, 7-year-old Chloe Bridgewater wants a job at Google—but she doesn’t want to wait until she’s grown up. She’s asking for one right now.
She first learned of the job opportunity after an inspiring career chat with her father, Andy, a refrigerator parts sales manager in Hereford, England, in which the curious first-grader asked about his job and if there was anywhere else he’d want to work, Mashable reported. That’s when he told his daughter about the real-life fairy tale company named Google in a faraway land called Silicon Valley. She was so captivated by the bean bags, slides and go-karts at the California Google campus that her dad suggested she apply to the company.
With some help from dad, Chloe wrote a cover letter addressed to “google boss” asking for a job. A few days later, she received a rare response from the tech company’s CEO, Sundar Pichai.
In his letter, which wasn’t exactly a rejection, but rather a supportive message, Pichai wrote, “I look forward to receiving your job application when you are finished with school!” He added encouragement for the girl to keep learning about computers, robots and technology, saying, “You can accomplish everything you set your mind to.”
Building and leveraging professional relationships isn’t just for the suit-and-tie crowd.
But being able to make connections, build relationships and leverage your contacts are critical components to career success, regardless of what duties your job entails.
“When you’re a passive job seeker, you’re being complacent,” which can hinder your ability to get promoted or recruited, says Laurie Grove, director of career services at Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology.
Take these five steps to build your network.
By Jon Simmons, Monster contributor
Don’t take this personally, but more likely than not, you’re not giving 100% at your job. In fact, there’s a good chance that you’re reading this while at work.
If so, you’re not alone. A recent Gallup study revealed a startling statistic: 70% of U.S. employees are not engaged at work.
A major cause for this disconnect is that people tend to be really, really bad at communicating their wants and needs. Learn to do that, and you’ll stand a much better chance of staying calm and resentment-free, and possibly even landing the kind of assignments you’ve been longing for.
Monster asked career experts for tips to help you improve your communication skills, so you can go from feeling disengaged to practically ecstatic about your job.
Want to feel heard? Make these five communication tips your new workplace resolutions.
